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It seems this is a real story from the time Ken Thompson started to work at Google: "Q: I know Google has a policy where every new employee has to get checked
by acqq 9y ago
It seems this is a real story from the time Ken Thompson started to work at Google:
"Q: I know Google has a policy where every new employee has to get checked out on languages before they're allowed to check code in. Which means you had to get checked out on C [which you co-created].
Thompson: Yeah, I haven't been.
Q. You haven't been! You're not allowed to check in code?
Thompson: I'm not allowed to check in code, no... I just haven't done it. I've so far found no need to."
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/04/21/ken_thompson_take_our_test/ https://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/04/21/ken_thompson_take_o...
"So Mr Thompson, you say you have some programming skills..."
Does anybody have any update on that?
- packetslave 9y agoIf you don't have readability in a language, you just have to get a code review from someone who does have readability. You can still check in your code.
- acqq 9y agoThe topic was that apparently Google insisted on testing Ken Thompson if he knows C, because policy. Which if true means a stubborn bureaucracy running uncontrolled there. It's like hiring Andrew Tanenbaum and then insisting on him taking a test to check if he "knows" Linux. My question was in sense, did anybody right the wrong, once even the media recognized the absurdity of that particular case.